The Challenger Commoners Laughed At
by Listening to trees
Summary: A similar thirst, a different sort of existence. The climb to the summit for the woman dubbed 'Marco'.


**Pairing: mild Gaouxfem!Marco**

**Warning: Contains a sexual slur and swearing (HIRUMA).**

* * *

.

Many thanks to user Shiary for beta-ing this. :)

.

* * *

**A/N** (Part 1):

1.** Info for non-enthusiasts **–**Hakushuu**, where Maruko lives, is part of the SIC district, under Japan's Kantō region. The **Shinryuuji Nagas** are said to be the strongest **Amefutō (American football)** team in Kantō, while the **Teikoku Alexanders** are the strongest in Kansai.

.

The main character, Maruko Reishi, plays for the Hakushuu Dinosaurs. Her signature move is the screw bite. She also has this odd habit of carrying bottles of cola (her fave drink) with her all the time, and giving it to others when she first meets them.

.

2.** Onjin** –(Japanese) benefactor/ patron.

.

3.** Kantoku** –(Jap.) coach.

The application of Japanese honorifics includes tacking on someone's occupation behind his/her name. "-sensei" is one popular example.

.

4.** Frog** –reference to Japanese/ Chinese idiom "frog in a well" (someone with a narrow perspective).

* * *

.

Before she perfected the screw bite, before she found her place on the team based on a skill no one could replicate, she used to practice alone.

Oh, she would start her warm-ups accompanied by friends. But they would always leave for cram school, chores, dates and other priorities one hour later. There was only so much running about and throwing of footballs a non-enthusiast could look at, after all, and it was the thought that counted.

Reishi would agree. And soldier on, till sunset; treasuring every minute and every second the clubs and societies did not commandeer the school grounds and gym, when she could use them.

Alone. Always.

* * *

.

That was why Maria-senpai was her whole world.

She had first caught the manager's attention while practicing. Hakushuu Middle's queen had a habit of working late, so it was only a matter of time before she stumbled upon Reishi, who often executed throws into the evening. An interested observation from the sidelines soon devolved into an approach for dinner and shop talk. Reishi still remembered it fondly to this day: her delighted discovery of the friendliness beneath that stoic nature, the homely warmth of the soup and amusingly subtle glances drawn by their unconventional topic and inside jokes. She'd thought it was a joke too, when her senior promised a formal invite to join club practices–only the best amateurs were given this sort of attention.

The letter arrived three days later.

From then on, they were quite inseparable. Like an elder sister she'd been missing, Maria-senpai understood her. She listened to her frustrations and sympathised, dispensed studying tips and make-up advice.

Above all, it was the lifesaver she'd proffered. How she'd gifted Reishi with the unlikeliest opportunity, and kept it open after she'd graduated to Hakushuu High. How she'd pulled out and dusted all the things Reishi had mostly forgotten: that near-religious waterfall-slam of joy at her first touch-down; the craving to revolve every second of her summers around contact football. Filling her heart and head with trivia she had yet a need to know; watching the national games and seeing herself there, ball in her hands and feet on the grass, with a child's unbroken invincibility. Knowing, despite her never-sufficient strength, battered heart and the scalding reality, that her very existence had been made for this. By believing in her in a way that knew her suffering and her chances, Himuro Maruko became the first person who allowed her to simply focus on being in love with football.

(Even, it seemed then, supporting her foolish dreams for the Christmas Bowl–)

That calm, happy acceptance on her face when Reishi first demonstrated the screw bite, she'd found, was far better than the expressions on all the players who'd previously expected nothing and "allowed" her presence only to humour their coach and manager.

That was why she would do _anything _to show her _onjin_ the morning sun after their victory.

* * *

.

The different treatment would get better.

Reishi had simply nodded when Maria (not Maria-senpai now, not when they were already the best of friends) said that, but she hadn't really believed it.

Although, the team was beginning to warm up to her. They were slowly, slowly, beginning to forget that they were tackling, sharing fist bumps with, and arguing tactics with a girl. Which may or may not have anything to do with the wins they garnered on her suggestions, and her ability to hold her own no matter how gruelling the training.

Nevertheless, it was hard to utterly cast aside four months' worth of overly careful politeness, isolation and gossip. The unvoiced misgivings and surprise every newcomer would still suppress, would always need to suppress. The limb-numbing frustration that had filled her solo years.

Then they went and elected her as the team captain once she'd transited from Hakushuu Middle.

What was it Suda-kantoku had said?

_I won't sugar-coat the truth. You already know better. It's going to be like this for the rest of the road. In fact, it'll probably get worse near the top. _

_There will always be men whose pride darkens their eyes. That's why it will fall on you to forgive them–for being slow to adjust to your fierce light._

…She had_ told _herself not to cry.

(It was the best welcoming present ever.)

* * *

.

Of course, they still _had_ to speculate on whether she was a lesbian.

Never mind that she was technically too busy between school and football practice to date much, and that was if she had any interest in the boys at her school. She was becoming renown as the "_otenba _who plays Amefuto" too fast, creating impressions of her that either had her very exasperated and amused (_Marco?_ Really?) or left a sour taste in her mouth.

Besides, it was difficult to find a guy who appreciated her passion and spirit. Who wouldn't feel the need to protect (i.e. smother) her from the painful, bodily struggles on the gridiron, because, alright, she did understand her limits (and would prefer not to face anyone strong head-on), but sometimes you just gotta do what you just _gotta _do. Also, she had yet to encounter any guy who wasn't at least a little intimidated by her, frankly, 'unfeminine' ambitions.

That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy her eye candy from time to time. Like some of the male members of the boxing club, or the karate club. There was also one of the linemen, a third-year they'd have to replace come June.

Maybe (hopefully) with Gaou Rikiya, the infamous, wildly-muscled first-year and recent transfer student. Who, admittedly, would've been smoking hot in her books–if he wasn't so downright scary. Now that was the kind of man who reminded her why her nerves still jangled whenever she had to charge the opposing centre, but likewise it would be _great_ to have him on the team.

It was unfortunate that Maria didn't think so. Convincing her was going to be a time-consuming sell, but that was fine. She wasn't quite sure how to convince Gaou, who'd rejected every recruiting club so far, to hop on board yet anyway

* * *

.

And wasn't that turning out to be the understatement of the year.

Tosaka-senpai's retirement party was already around the corner, and Maria was still showing no sign of caving in. In fact, she seemed even more obstinate. Reishi understood the part about his rare but explosively violent displays of force–she was pretty uneasy about that herself–but it was just a pure waste of talent no matter which way you put it.

Well, that was a worry for another day. She had more urgent preoccupations in her mind right now. Namely, how to ace the SIC district finals.

* * *

.

Speed. Brute force. Skill, grace and coordination. All delivered in a regal, expectant confidence beautiful enough to crush the last of her innocence.

Teikouku Alexanders versus Shinryuuji Nagas: 52-16.

_Was this why you _lied_ to me, Maria?_

_Was this why ALL of YOU _LIED_ to me?!_

_What were those months supposed to mean then? All those years? Did I put on a good show? Was it _FUN_ to watch me struggle, with a Kantou frog's stupidity?!_

_No._

Face possessed by vehemence.

_This isn't over._

A monstrous back, out of her mental recesses. A thought began to flicker.

_One way or another._

One way or another.

She blinked and scrubbed away the rapidly-drying moisture.

* * *

.

On November 18, Gaou Rikiya made his debut. On November 20, Suda Keijirou lodged a formal complaint against two members from the Amefutō club. On November 23, the principal called him to his office.

On November 26, he handed in his resignation.

* * *

.

Part of the rumours that now formed Hakushuu's walls was that all the sports captains who'd tried to recruit Gaou before Maruko hadn't succeeded because they weren't good cocksuckers.

Gaou himself didn't bother correcting them. Fact was, he'd never encountered anyone before her, man or woman, who was as breathtakingly ravenous.

True, he couldn't fail to notice the way her lips shone from lip balm, or the confident strength exuded by her sleek, compact body. Those ignorant boys and men she handed cola bottles to could barely imagine the finesse that must lay in her fingers to be able to hold several like that together.

But he'd also heard how hard she'd worked to attain her current position. Could guess how she must've fought–and endured–to gain such defensiveness, however subtle, about her gender. And those eyes had room for nothing in them but victory.

He could respect that. It wasn't a bad philosophy.

* * *

.

She was not demure, she was not petite. Not for her the likes of Koizumi Karin, whose beauty and girlish sweetness earned greater favour against the backdrop of a more meritocratic culture. She was Marco, the frighteningly driven and cunning bitch who broke the bones of fellow quarterbacks, and she felt absolutely no need to be apologetic.

Yet, for all her personal experience (or perhaps because of it), never had she expected to meet a like-minded woman. Then she clashed wills against one who not only resembled her, but exceeded her estimations.

Hiruma Youhi's shoulder had lost its delicate femininity to the thick padding, but its comparative smallness to a man's still belied its firmness and her self-reassurance. Her determination_._

Reishi already knew, but she must still ask. To make sure. "If you had been in my shoes, you would've done the same, right?"

"Of course, fucking eyelashes!"

_Good. _Now neither of them would hold back for any reason.

She reassembled her strategies, took back her helmet. Quelled the aches and tremors under sheer willpower.

* * *

.

There was only one person on the team who would ever disobey her request for privacy, and one person who wore that perfume. She could never forget that scent even if she had not been close to it for nearly a year.

"…It's over, I'd say. If possible, I'd be thankful if you didn't come any closer."

The cloud of orange blossoms drew nearer still. Denim rasped quietly as legs rearranged themselves.

"As usual, coolly disregarding my request. Heh..."

She should stop talking now. Something pressed against her diaphragm, right at this moment, something was about to threaten her calm–and she had never had worse control in suppressing her words. "Maria will graduate now…so much for that promise…"

_I'll definitely win the Christmas Bowl, so that I can show Himuro-senpai the morning sun after the victory!_

She had been so bright then. So full of naïve ignorance. And Maria's smile. What had happened to it since then? What had happened to _them?_

_Suda-kantoku… _She had disappointed him for nothing. Did he come to their games afterwards? Watched her ruthlessness from the stands?

_Too late for anything now, I guess. _Her tone remained casual.

"For the sake of winning everything…I lost everything. What the hell was I doing? I'd say."

"You were aiming to win. That was about it, right?"

The words and the barely-there catch in that usually steady voice surprised her. Though, even those did not compare to what followed.

"More than anyone else, you were an American football player." A sideway glance. A spark of tears.

"…You're kind. Even though you hated it so much."

"If I had completely hated your way, I would've retired as a manager a long time ago. Don't you think?"

_Kami. _Always so blunt, stripping the defences off a person. "Aah. I didn't…notice that…"

"Jeez. A cunning person like you; why must you be clueless only in these kind of things? Seriously…"

* * *

.

The locker rooms fell silent again soon after, but it was the comfortable sort of lull that dwelled between conversations. Reishi smiled ruefully. She hadn't realised how much she'd missed that.

Then she winced. Maria's hands were gentle as ever in spreading the analgesic, but when someone the size and shape of a boulder threw you to the ground, a lingering pain was inevitable.

"So. Has Gaou asked you out yet?"

For once, the quarterback was glad for the lack of cola. Her own spit was hard enough to swallow. "That's," She choked. "That's impossible, I'd say!"

The other girl's huff was decidedly unladylike. _"Please_. Have you seen the way he looks at you? The way Kisaragi looks at you too. All you'd have to do is just _nod_."

Silence. Reishi's eyes drifted to some invisible distance, not seeing the faint smile Maria sported as she resumed her administrations.

Well.

It _was_ time to make a new start on things.

* * *

(Owari)

* * *

**A/N **(Part 2):

1. Marco's female first name, **Reishi **(麗姿) means "pretty silhouette".

I'm working on a fem-Marco + fem-Hiruma fanart. If you want to have a look when I'm done, please comment in the reviews. You don't have to favourite/comment on my story, just say you wish to be updated on my fanart and that's it. :-)

But I'm **very slow when it comes to updating** though. _Very_ slow.

.

2.** Otenba **–rather insulting Japanese term for "tomboys".

.

3. Speech for the reconciliation scene was adapted from Chapter 274.

.

4. (**Headcanon**) Another reason why fem!Marco carries cola bottles about her person at all times: they can be smashed over a hard surface and used to deter a would-be assailant. Maria prefers pepper spray.

(Note that Japanese crime rates ARE comparatively low. That doesn't mean crime is non-existent, however, nor does this mean they have a near-perfect criminal justice system. The situation is complex, and several issues are still, currently, cause for contention.)

.

5. For a moment I was gonna turn it into some **Mariaxfem!Marco yuri**, maybe with a sprinkling of pron, because the thought of them together is actually kinda_ hot_. But then that would require some rewriting, so I stuck to the original plan. (*shrugs)

.

6. I also drew inspiration from the manga "**Sayonara Football**" in writing this. It's a very touching two-parter with dynamic action scenes, so to anyone who likes sports manga and female protagonists, I'm highly recommending it.

* * *

Errr, the thing is, I didn't manage to follow my beta's advice on **sentence length**. She can't help me with the **characterisation** either, since she read Es21 a long time ago.

So if you guys could help by reviewing, it'd be much appreciated. :)


End file.
